Thanks for the complements, shr33m (shreem in l33t?).
What does LoC stand for? Locus of Control? Level of Control?
I think you bring up an important distinction between the physiological and the spiritual (please forgive me if I diverge from your terminology at some points).
Could you please go into the distinctions between power and force? Also, what do you consider spiritual and spiritual progression. I have my own ideas about it, and I tend to look at it in psychological terms. Idries Shah said something to the effect of spiritual development is development of the capacity of the person to have those 20/20 hindsight visions happen in foresight, when it matters. He was talking about issues of morality, sobriety, and good sense, I think.
I don't intend to put down TM. I have gotten some good results with it. It was a very appealing alternative to the kind of zazen I was taught. In zazen, under my particular zen master, the emphasis was on killing the killer ... controlling and fighting the mind. Of course, that was a losing battle. You can't fight for peace. The approach in TM was much more congruent with the way the mind worked and was generally effortless for me.
I don't know how much spiritual progress I made. But, like you said, it was good for relaxation.
Is power related to the siddhis (I hope I am spelling that right)? If the goal is realization of God consciousness (spiritual growth?), isn't power moot?
